1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for setting a destination in a communication apparatus such as a facsimile that can communicate with other communication apparatuses via a computer network including a public network such as the ISDN or the PSTN, and the Internet. The present invention also relates to a communication apparatus and a network system using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Network environments have been maintained well these days, so that communication such as an electronic mail connecting LANs with each other via the Internet has become popular. This communication via the Internet has an advantage in low cost. Therefore, even in facsimile or other communications, it is expected to utilize the communication via the Internet.
For example, there was a method of facsimile communication that aimed at reduction of cost required for broadcast communication from a source to plural destinations by sending an image to a relay station, which sends the received image to plural destinations.
However, the above-mentioned technique requires double communication cost for facsimile between the source and the relay station as well as between the relay station and broadcast destinations. This method cannot contribute reduction of the communication cost by a single relay station.
In addition, when using the Internet for the facsimile communication, facsimile machines having totally different configurations have to be prepared. Conventional facsimile machines cannot be used for the communication using the Internet.
The above-mentioned data communication via the Internet is available for a subscriber""s terminal when a service provider that is connected to the public telephone network (or the ISDN) performs a service of connecting the subscriber""s terminal with the Internet. Therefore, the facsimile communication via the Internet can be realized by connecting a facsimile machine as a subscriber""s terminal to the Internet via the service provider when the facsimile machine is connected to the public telephone network. However, a typical facsimile machine does not have a function to send address information for the electronic mail to the service provider. Therefore, there was a problem that the service provider cannot send the image data properly to the destination terminal when using the conventional facsimile machine as a subscriber""s terminal.
In addition, when the service provider that is connected to the receiving facsimile machine (receiver) receives image data for the receiver (image data that were sent from the source terminal via facsimile communication), the image data are stored in a memory device of the service provider, and the stored image data are sent to the receiver when the receiver as a subscriber requests to send the image data. Therefore, the image data does not reach the receiver before the receiver requests the image data. This means that the image data reaches with a substantial delay compared with conventional facsimile communication between terminals via the public telephone network, and that the source terminal cannot know when the image data reached the receiver.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of the facsimile communication between a source facsimile machine and a destination facsimile machine by using a network such as the Internet even if there is only one destination. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate communication between communication apparatuses that are connected to a network including the public circuit and a network circuit.
It is also another object to enable source machine to set easily of destinations of a first relay station, a second relay station and a receive side facsimile machine, when sending image data from the source facsimile machine to the first relay station that is connected to the Internet via the public circuit, sending the image data from the first relay station to the second relay station via the Internet, and sending the image data from the second relay station to the receive side facsimile machine that is connected to the public circuit.
It is still another object to communicate widely with facsimile machines having the standard communication functions without designing new non-standard protocol.
In order to attain the above-mentioned objects, a communication apparatus of the present invention comprises first relay destination assignment means for assigning a first relay destination that relays transmission data, second relay destination assignment means for assigning a second relay destination that transfers the transmission data from the first relay destination to the second relay destination, and final destination assignment means for assigning a final destination to which the transmission data are transferred from the second relay destination.
Preferably, the first relay destination is assigned by data indicating a telephone number, the second relay destination is assigned by data indicating an electronic mail address, and the final destination is assigned by data indicating a telephone number. The apparatus preferably comprises transmission means for sending data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination to the first relay destination by a facsimile procedure. The transmission means send the data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination by a sub-address defined in ITU-T T30. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises first registration means for registering the first and/or second relay destinations in connection with the final destination. The apparatus also comprises second registration means for registering the first and/or second relay destinations in connection with the final destination when the first and/or second relay destinations are not registered in the first registration means. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises first selection means for selecting to activate the first and the second relay destination assignment means or not. In addition, the apparatus comprises second selection means for selecting to activate the final destination assignment means or not. Preferably, the communication apparatus is a facsimile machine.
A communication apparatus having a relay function according to the present invention comprises reception means for receiving at least a sub-address and transmission data, extracting means for extracting a relay destination for transferring the transmission data to a next relay destination and/or a final destination for transferring the transmission data from the next relay destination to the final destination, from the sub-address, and transmission means for making an electronic mail including the transmission data and the final destination, and sending the electronic mail to the relay destination. Preferably, the sub-address is defined by ITU-T T30 and the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME.
A communication apparatus having a relay function according to the present invention comprises reception means for receiving an electronic mail including at least a final destination and transmission data, extracting means for extracting a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred, from a received electronic mail data, and transmission means for sending the transmission data to the final destination. Preferably, the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME.
A communication apparatus having a relay function according to the present invention comprises first reception means for receiving at least a sub-address and transmission data, first extracting means for extracting a relay destination for transferring the transmission data to a next relay destination and/or a final destination for transferring the transmission data from the next relay destination to the final destination, from the sub-address, first transmission means for making an electronic mail including the transmission data and the final destination, and sending the electronic mail to the relay destination, second reception means for receiving an electronic mail including at least a final destination and transmission data, second extracting means for extracting a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred, from a received electronic mail data, and second transmission means for sending the transmission data to the final destination. Preferably, the sub-address is defined by ITU-T T30 and the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME. In addition, the communication apparatus having a relay function is a facsimile machine.
A network system according to the present invention is a system to which at least a source communication apparatus, a communication apparatus having a relay function working as a first relay station, a communication apparatus having a relay function working as a second relay station, and a destination communication apparatus are connected. The source communication apparatus includes first relay destination assigning means for assigning a first relay destination that relays a transmission data, second relay destination assigning means for assigning a second relay destination for transferring the transmission data from the first relay destination to the second relay destination, final destination assigning means for assigning a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred from the second relay destination, and third transmission means for sending at least the transmission data and a sub-address including the second relay destination and the final destination. The communication apparatus having a relay function working as a first relay station includes first reception means for receiving at least a sub-address and transmission data, first extracting means for extracting a relay destination for transferring the transmission data to a next relay destination and/or a final destination for transferring the transmission data from the next relay destination to the final destination, from the sub-address, and first transmission means for making an electronic mail including the transmission data and the final destination, and sending the electronic mail to the relay destination. The communication apparatus having a relay function working as a second relay station includes second reception means for receiving an electronic mail including at least a final destination and transmission data, second extracting means for extracting a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred, from a received electronic mail data, and second transmission means for sending the transmission data to the final destination. Preferably, the first relay destination is assigned by data indicating a telephone number, the second relay destination is assigned by data indicating an electronic mail address, the final destination is assigned by data indicating a telephone number, the sub-address is defined by ITU-T T30, and the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME.
A method for setting a destination in a communication apparatus according to the present invention comprises the steps of reading out first and/or second relay destinations registered in connection with a final destination, when the final destination is inputted for sending a transmission data, and sending data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination to the first relay destination by facsimile procedure. Preferably, the communication apparatus is a facsimile machine, the final destination is inputted as data indicating a telephone number, the first relay destination is registered as data indicating a telephone number, and the second relay destination is registered as data indicating an electronic mail address.
A method for setting a destination in a network system according to the present invention is a method applied to a network system to which at least a source communication apparatus, a communication apparatus having a relay function working as a first relay station, a communication apparatus having a relay function working as a second relay station, and a destination communication apparatus are connected. In the source communication apparatus, the method comprises the steps of reading out first and/or second relay destinations registered in connection with a final destination, when the final destination is inputted for sending a transmission data, and sending data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination to the first relay destination by facsimile procedure. In the communication apparatus having a relay function working as a first relay station, the method comprises the steps of extracting the second relay destination for transferring the transmission data and the final destination for transferring the transmission data from the second relay destination, from a received sub-address, and making an electronic mail including the final destination, and sending the electronic mail to the second relay destination. In the communication apparatus having a relay function working as a second relay station, the method comprises the steps of extracting a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred, from a received electronic mail data, and sending the transmission data to the final destination. Preferably, the communication apparatus is a facsimile machine, the final destination is inputted as data indicating a telephone number, the first relay destination is registered as data indicating a telephone number, the second relay destination is registered as data indicating an electronic mail address, the sub-address is defined by ITU-T T30 and the final destination is stored in a command region of a file described in MIME.
A storage medium according to the present invention stores a control program that can be read out by a computer for controlling a communication apparatus. The control program comprising at least a reader module for reading out first and/or second relay destinations registered in connection with a final destination, when the final destination is inputted for sending a transmission data, and a transmission module for sending data indicating the second relay destination and the final destination to the first relay destination by facsimile procedure. Preferably, the medium further stores a management table for registering the first and/or second relay destinations in connection with a final destination.
A storage medium according to the present invention stores a control program that can be read out by a computer for controlling a communication apparatus having a relay function. The control program comprising at least a first extracting module for extracting a second relay destination for transferring the transmission data and the final destination to which the transmission data is transferred from the second relay destination, from a received sub-address, a first transmission module for making an electronic mail including the final destination, and sending the electronic mail to the second relay destination, a second extracting module for extracting a final destination to which the transmission data is transferred, from a received electronic mail data, and a second transmission module for sending the transmission data to the final destination. Preferably, the control program further stores a management table for registering the first and/or second relay destinations in connection with a final destination.
Furthermore, a communication control device according to the present invention controls communication between communication apparatuses connected to a network environment including a public line and a computer network. The device comprises reception means for receiving image data including a destination data indicating a destination of the data sent by a source communication apparatus, judging means for judging whether the destination data received by the reception means is data indicating an electronic mail address or data indicating a telephone number, and control means for controlling communication to the destination of the image data in accordance with the judgement result of the judging means.
Preferably, the control means convert the image data into a image data having a file format that can be transmitted by electronic mail, when the judging means judged that the destination data is data indicating an electronic mail address.
Preferably, the control means set a transmission mode of the image data to an xe2x80x9celectronic mail relay transmissionxe2x80x9d when the judging means judged that the destination data was data indicating an electronic mail address, while if the destination data was judged to be a telephone number, the control means set a transmission mode of the image data to a xe2x80x9cfacsimile transmissionxe2x80x9d.
Preferably, the control means include a memory means for memorizing a relay destination table for managing a relay destination information of the image data, and verify the judgement result of the judging means and the relay destination table, so as to control communication to the destination of the image data in accordance with the verification result.
Preferably, the relay destination information includes at least a country information indicating a relay destination country, an area information indicating an area in the country, and a corresponding electronic mail address.
Preferably, the control means obtain the country information indicating a destination country from the destination data, obtain a destination having the obtained country code from the relay destination table, and set a mode of transmission to the obtained relay destination into a xe2x80x9celectronic mail relay transmissionxe2x80x9d.
Preferably, the control means further decide one relay destination in accordance with each area information that the relay destination has, if plural relay destinations having the obtained country information exist in the relay destination table, and set a mode of transmission to the decide relay destination into a xe2x80x9celectronic mail relay transmissionxe2x80x9d.
Preferably, the control means send the image data to the destination indicated by the destination data by facsimile if the relay destination indicated by the relay destination information is the communication control device.
Preferably, the reception means receive the destination data by facsimile communication procedure.
Preferably, the facsimile communication procedure utilizes a sub-address defined in ITU-T T30.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling communication between communication apparatuses connected to a network environment including a public line and a computer network is provided. The method comprises the steps of receiving image data including a destination data indicating a destination of the data sent by a source communication apparatus, judging whether the destination data received in the receiving step is data indicating an electronic mail address or data indicating a telephone number, and controlling communication to the destination of the image data in accordance with the judgement result of the judging step.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a memory storing program codes of a control program that can be read out by a computer for controlling a communication between communication apparatuses connected to a network environment including a public line and a computer network is provided. The memory stores program codes of the step for receiving image data including a destination data indicating a destination of the data sent by a source communication apparatus, program codes of the step for judging whether the destination data received in the receiving step is data indicating an electronic mail address or data indicating a telephone number, and program codes of the step for controlling communication to the destination of the image data in accordance with the judgement result of the judging step.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a facsimile machine is provided, which comprises means for accessing a service provider of the Internet, means for setting information in a facsimile communication procedure signal for requesting the service provider to do a facsimile transmission, and means for sending the facsimile communication procedure signals in which the setting means have set the information to the service provider, so as to send an image data by facsimile. Thus, communication of an image data via the Internet can be requested to a service provider of the Internet by facsimile communication of facsimile machine.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a storage medium storing a computer program that can be executed by a computer is provided. The program comprises the steps of receiving an access request of the facsimile communication, receiving an information for sending image data via the Internet set in facsimile communication procedure signals, and extracting the received information, converting the image data received by facsimile communication into an electronic mail data in accordance with the extracted information, and sending the converted electronic mail data and information of a destination of facsimile transmission of the image data sent by the electronic mail to the other party assigned by the information. Thus, a facsimile machine can request to send an image data received from a facsimile machine by facsimile communication to the other service provider via the Internet as an electronic mail.
Other objects and embodiments of the present invention will be cleared by the following drawings and descriptions.